Being Thankful
by Selene Tyler Smith
Summary: Just a post Episode 9 one-shot idea that I came up for the Thanksgiving Holiday.


**I know I'm two days early, but I'll be too busy hosting Thanksgiving this year. So, here is a short one-shot for you all. Hope you all enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!**

 **Big thanks for Darksidefan5 for being an awesome Beta.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars! George Lucas and Disney own it.**

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 **Leia**

There are very few things in the galaxy that Leia Organa finds herself thankful for. But the biggest thing that she thanks the Force for is the full cooperative surrender of the First Order two years previous. It'd been a long hard fight and too many losses on both sides. Losses that seemed to have piled over the years - first with Han, then her Resistance, Luke, and finally with the death of her only child, Ben.

With their defeat in sight and the death of their leader, Leia was able to broker a deal between what remained of the First Order and what was left of the Republic. The Galactic Alliance of Planets is the new, agreed upon, name that is the governing body for the galaxy. When asked if Leia was going to serve in the new government she'd refused, citing the heavy criticism she'd received over a decade ago over the revelation of being Darth Vader's daughter becoming public knowledge. Instead, she'd chosen to retire and live on Yavin IV to be among friends.

A pearl of laughter draws her melancholy stupor to a close. Looking back towards the familiar home of Kes Dameron, she can't help but smile at the sight of several friends watching as a young boy races away from his father.

Make that two things that she's thankful for.

 **Finn**

There are several things, people really, that the former First Order trooper is eternally thankful for.

First, he thanked his lucky stars that he'd met Poe Dameron. Having been brought up as an obedient soldier – murderer – from the tender age of four, Finn knew his life would be non-existent if Poe hadn't saved him all those years ago.

Secondly, he's thankful for having met Rey. Sure, she'd whacked him with her staff when they'd first met, but he would still trust her with his life. As the war continued on, Finn could always count on Rey having his back and he returned the favor to her.

Thirdly, there was Rose. Once again, Finn found himself being hit by a woman upon first meeting them. What he didn't expect was for the young engineer to fall in love with him, and vice versa. Somehow Rose had captured his full attention by being the one to give him his very first kiss back on Crait. After escaping, Finn stayed by her side till she was fully healed, refusing any and all missions that absolutely didn't require him personally to be there. Though it wasn't until the end of the war that Rose proposed and the two were married by Leia once the peace accords were signed.

Looking across the dinner table, Finn wonders what all he did to deserve Rose, their twin daughters, and his put together family. So he quietly thanks the Force instead.

 **Kes Dameron**

Having survived the first Rebellion, Kes Dameron has always been a man who gave thanks to the Force. Yet when his wife, Shara, died unexpectedly, he began lost his way for a while. The only thing that kept Kes from falling into a severe depression was their young son. Now, Kes is seeing this same fight playout with his son and grandson.

When Poe had first joined the New Republic's military as a pilot, Kes couldn't help but worry. When the threat of the First Order became a reality, he worried even more. Worried on if his son would survive the total outbreak of skirmishes between the Resistance and the First Order. Too many times Leia had contacted him, telling him about the numerous injuries, close calls, and even the few captures that Poe had made it through.

Then, half-way through the long years of the newest war, his son had managed to bring home a woman. What shocked Kes even more was the toddler that the woman carried in her arms. It was then that Kes had learned that the woman, Rey, was a strong Force-user and that the child was one as well. They'd needed a place to hide the small child from the First Order, who had begun rounding up Force-Sensitives. Kes had readily agreed to watching his grandson, a familiar move that he and Shara had done with Poe during the Rebellion against the Empire. Kes had raised the small boy for two years, with sporadic visits from Poe and Rey during that time. Then all of that changed when the First Order arrived and Kylo Ren kidnapped the boy while leaving Kes to die. It was the only time that Kes felt as if he had failed during his long life. If it wasn't for Leia and the Resistance showing up right on the heels of the First Order's departure, Kes would have surely died.

His attention is brought back to the here and now by the shriek of laughter coming from his grandson. Stepping out of his home, while carrying a Sula Fruit pie, Kes can't help but smile.

 **Poe**

Since the end of the war, Poe hasn't been himself. He's always known what to do, whether it was taking out the enemy or finding new recruits. But now that there is freedom and peace throughout the galaxy, Poe doesn't know what to do. He'd kept his word to his father and came home once the war was won. But at what cost was the war won?

After escaping Crait, and having gone to rescue the remnants of Black Squadron from a dire situation, Poe had been sent on several missions. Some on his own, some with others. But the mission that stands out for him, and for which he is extremely thankful for, is the very first one he had with Rey.

They'd been sent to Coruscant to meet up with a longtime friend of Leia's, Winter Chelchu. It was during this mission that Rey had taken ill, and it would be discovered that she was pregnant. Poe didn't know what to make of it all. Especially when he'd not just heard from Finn, but also witnessing it himself, that Rey wasn't an easy person to get to know. Nor was she one who let people get close to her that easily. Eventually, Rey confided to Poe about the Force-bond with Kylo Ren, but she didn't tell him anything else. He let her keep her secrets, but he often wondered if the child was Kylo Ren's.

After their mission, Poe never left her side and people assumed that the pair were involved with each other. They'd even congratulated them both on Rey's pregnancy, and neither of them corrected the assumption. It was during one of their close call escapes from a hidden base that really confirmed it for nearly all of the Resistance. Rey had gone into labor only four hours before the First Order had arrived and during the immediate evac, Poe had seen her safely to the Falcon. As Chewie and Rose were trying to navigate through all the fighting, Rey had given birth with Finn holding her hand while Poe saw to the delivery. When he held that little baby in his hands, Poe lost his heart and knew that he'd do everything to keep that boy safe.

As time went on, Poe and Rey never corrected anyone when they commented on how much the boy looked like them. The combinations of the boy's dark softly wavy hair, hazel eyes, high cheek bones, with a face that resembled Rey's, had everyone fooled for the first two years of the boy's life. Then, the First Order became more ruthless in their drive on kidnapping the boy. That's when Rey finally admitted to Poe about Kylo Ren being the boy's father. He didn't begrudge Rey on keeping that piece of information secret and offered the only solution he could think of.

So, he flew them to the one place where he believed the child would be safe. It worked, hiding the boy with Poe's father, for two years. But Kylo Ren personally kidnapping the child brought about the battle which ended the war. The battle which would have made that little boy an orphan; but Poe kept the promise he made to Rey. A promise which was made at the boy's birth and Poe is still keeping to this very day.

"Papa!"

The nudge against his ribs causes Poe to look down at the boy seated next to him at the table. His heart lurches at the very familiar smile on his son's face, but he pushes away his own sadness and gives his son a smile in return. Then to his surprise, the boy reaches out with the Force to cause a tickling sensation against Poe's ribs. Knowing the game that his son is playing, Poe retaliates. However, the boy is quick to make his escape from his seat and lets out a pearl of laughter as Poe begins chasing him.

There are many things that Poe is grateful for; but the most important one is that Rey saw fit to make him, Poe Dameron, the father of her son. And he wouldn't change being a father to this special boy, his son. Jacen Dameron.

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 **You can leave a review if you wish. They are always appreciated, cherished, and fully loved.**

 **Selene**


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